Because there's nothing to admit. It's not my battle. I actually have both an iPad and a Surface. To claim that the Surface is pointless means that you don't understand the differences in capability between the two devices. The Surface IS a better tablet than the iPad in terms of productivity, for the reasons I mentioned above.

Apple is now the king of hardware AND OS' evidently shown in this article. Apple scraping away 30% for in app purchasing for office is kind of a sweet revenge whether intended or not. If you zoom out of the big picture Microsoft is now scrounging at the feet of Apple to just stay relevant nowadays.

Apple is the king of hardware and OS? How do you figure that? As I have stated many a time, whether Microsoft buys the dust or not (and they won't because of their prowess in the enterprise space and growing strength in the cloud space) most people still will not be able to afford Apple products, and many who can afford Apple products will not need to pay the premium for having "the best" hardware/software, but for what they are doing, regular hardware/software will do. The day is not going to come where if you can't afford or don't want to spend $1000+ for a laptop then hey it stinks to be you.

And by the way, Microsoft is going to come out with Office for Android also:

So basically, all Microsoft did was add an additional platform to sell their software. Should have done it years ago but oh well. And Microsoft's new enterprise software is being retooled to better interact with Apple products as we speak, meaning that folks who use MacBooks and I-Pads at work will be able to integrate into Active Directory and similar almost as well and easily as people who use Windows products. And yes, they are going to do the same for Android products. It really is little different to the accommodations that their enterprise software made for Linux servers years ago.

Microsoft raising the white flag in their war against Apple only means that Microsoft will start making money off Apple just like they do every other major hardware manufacturer. It does not change the core dynamic, which is that consumers - and companies - are not going to abandon buying Windows machines when Apple machines cost 3 times as much.

Yes, Surface is a failure, but largely because Microsoft was ridiculous enough to make it cost MORE than an I-Pad. Folks will pay less for an inferior device - as the success of Android tablets show - but they are not going to pay the same or more for a lesser device. Had Microsoft come up with a device that was $100 less than the I-Pad, at the very least it would have better competed with Android tablets.

I've downloaded the free apps, and they will be useful on the road for opening complicated Word, Excel, and PP files when people forget to send them to me as pdf. As far as editing, I'll be much more excited if/when M$ comes up with a more rational pricing plan for people who would like to use the apps on their mobile device, but don't want to install Office 365 anywhere else. $99 per year just to be able to do the odd editing on my iPad is a bit much.

No it doesn't, because the Surface is still a much more productive tablet than the iPad, mainly for the following reasons -

1. Viewing two apps side by side.
2. Multi-user account profiles, especially useful if you are sharing devices with other users.
3. Full USB 3.0 port for simple connectivity to flash drives, non-wireless printers, external hard drives, smartphones, etc.
4. Micro SD card for additional storage (up to 128 GB).
5. Access to the desktop environment, which when docked to an external monitor, mouse and keyboard, turns the device into a desktop PC. Even if it's the ARM version, having a "windowed" environment makes it extremely productive as a desktop machine, especially since you can extend the desktop over two screens, rather than just mirror to single external monitor.
6. Access to the full file system.
7. Live Tiles (particularly the use of secondary live tiles, or live in-app short-cuts if you prefer) allows you to configure your start screen for improved efficiency and productivity in ways that aren't possible on the iPad.

That said, Surface is just one type of device. Personally, I have a preference for the Surface Pro 2 or the Dell Venue Pro 11 or the HP Omni 10.

That's why we have laptops.

MS never did get it, and they aren't getting it now. Which is why the surface is a disaster and their mobile strategy has barely any traction.

MS never did get it, and they aren't getting it now. Which is why the surface is a disaster and their mobile strategy has barely any traction.

Consumers want iPads.... not poorly designed frankentablets.

In that case, why do lots of business iPad owners try to convert their iPads into laptops by adding a BT keyboard and various other accessories? Why not just get a laptop instead of trying to turn the iPad into something it was never designed to be?

In that case, why do lots of business iPad owners try to convert their iPads into laptops by adding a BT keyboard and various other accessories? Why not just get a laptop instead of trying to turn the iPad into something it was never designed to be?

In that case, why do lots of business iPad owners try to convert their iPads into laptops by adding a BT keyboard and various other accessories? Why not just get a laptop instead of trying to turn the iPad into something it was never designed to be?

Superior user experience ... also with a keyboard accessory. It doesn't doesn't speak to the iPad's limitations. It speaks to how consumers who *already love* iPads *also* like to use them.

This is why one product with third party keyboard accessories sells in record numbers, while another product in the same segment that actually *comes* with a keyboard is stuck on shelves collecting dust.

The synergy between hardware and software and ecosystem embodied in the iPad is perfected to such a degree hat it connects *intimately* with consumers. Designed not with tasks in mind but with the user in mind. This is something Microsoft never understood, and it's the reason they are always behind the curve.

Superior user experience ... also with a keyboard accessory. It doesn't doesn't speak to the iPad's limitations. It speaks to how consumers who *already love* iPads *also* like to use them.

This is why one product with third party keyboard accessories sells in record numbers, while another product in the same segment that actually *comes* with a keyboard is stuck on shelves collecting dust.

The synergy between hardware and software and ecosystem embodied in the iPad is perfected to such a degree hat it connects *intimately* with consumers. Designed not with tasks in mind but with the user in mind. This is something Microsoft never understood, and it's the reason they are always behind the curve.

And that is precisely why the Surface is a better tablet for those user who want more capability from their tablet. The average consumer doesn't need a productivity tablet, but many business users do. For those people who need a tablet which is also a capable productivity device, the Surface is superior to the iPad in every way.

Microsoft aren't behind the curve - they're simply focusing on a different market. Now, that market may very well be much smaller in terms of mobile devices - but that doesn't matter to users like me because the devices offered by Microsoft (and some other OEMs) are superior for our requirements, compared with the iPad.

And that is precisely why the Surface is a better tablet for those user who want more capability from their tablet. The average consumer doesn't need a productivity tablet, but many business users do. For those people who need a tablet which is also a capable productivity device, the Surface is superior to the iPad in every way.

Microsoft aren't behind the curve - they're simply focusing on a different market. Now, that market may very well be much smaller in terms of mobile devices - but that doesn't matter to users like me because the devices offered by Microsoft (and some other OEMs) are superior for our requirements, compared with the iPad.

That's fine. If it works for you, then stick with it.

Just don't be surprised if MS does an entire reset of the platform sooner or later due to a complete lack of any meaningful traction. I'd understand if they were after margins, like Apple strategizes with certain product categories, but MS seems to be afloat with no real direction on this.

Get invested into a stagnant platform at your own risk. Hopefully it doesn't end up getting zuned.

What would actually make this really interesting would be to know what revenues MS actually get from retail versions of office. After all this isn't revenues from small business or enterprise which would make up the majority of office revenue. You can only buy the regular basic public version from the app.

It would also be good to know how it compares to a retailer selling it or a Pc manufacturer bundling it with a machine. What percentage do they normally take? 30% could be relatively similar.

- Office is already available on Windows Phone. Has been from day one.

- Office on iPad is something that needed to happen. (There is a reason that it is top 3 free downloads and Word #4 on paid list). There is a need for standardization in Enterprise that you just cannot do with pages and numbers.

- Surface is not dead nor is it an "Epic Fail" as extremist here will tell you. I have both an iPad and a Surface, and even still use the iPad more for a consumer device and Surface as a work device.